Thermal pins



May 20, 1958 w. PEREZ 2,835,480

7 THERMAL PINS Filed April 9, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. W/l. L/AM PEREZ ATTORNEY W. PEREZ THERMAL PINS May 20, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1953 INVENTOR. WILL/AM PEREZ AT TORNEY May 20, 1958 w. PEREZ 2,835,480

THERMAL PINS Filed April 9, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 177 1 9 I IA7:ZZ 118 I INVENTOR. WILL IAM PEREZ A TTOR NE Y May 20, 1958 w. PEREZ 2,

THERMAL PINS Filed April 9, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 217 323 WILL/AM PEREZ ATTORNEY United States Patent THERMAL PINS William Perez, Williston Park, N. Y. Application April 9, 1953, Serial No. 351,285

3 Claims. or. 257-263) This invention relates to thermal pins for heating or refrigerating a body mass.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a heating pin adapted to be inserted in a roast of meat, dough or other large mass for the purpose of transmitting heat to the interior of the edible so as to reduce the cooking time and to insure complete cooking throughout the interior of the mass.

It is another object of the invention to provide a heat? ing or thermal pin whereby the heat surrounding the mass being treated will be conducted directly to the interior of the mass.

It is another object of the invention to provide a refrigerating pin adapted to be placed in a mass, which contains a liquid refrigerant that is evaporated by the heat within the mass and conducted to an exterior point within the pin and cooled whereby to lower the temperature of the mass and at times facilitate the freezing thereof.

It is anotherobject to provide a thermal pin arrangement wherein the thermal pins are rotated in a liquid mass to either heat or cool the mass, the thermal pins being aranged on a driving shaft in the form of a cluster and angularly spaced from one another and the shaft with the driving gear being mounted upon a closure plate of the vessel that contains the liquid and wherein provision is made for supplying heating current to the shaft of the closure plate or wherein a cooling chamber is provided on the enlarged upper end of the shaft for conducting away the heat from the liquid refrigerant.

It is another object of the invention to provide a thermal pin with a heating source forming a part of the pin by which heat'received from the source can be delivered to the interior of a liquid or edible mass to cook the same from heat delivered by the thermal pin, the thermal pin having an electric heating element embodied in one end thereof or provision whereby a hot liquid can be delivered to the one end of the thermal pin to supply the heat thereto, the heat from the heating medium being transferred to the small liquid within the pin that quickly evaporates for delivery throughout the extent of the pin and which condenses when reaching the cold walls of the pin created by the surrounding mass and then returns for reheating at the opposite end of the pin.

It is another object of the invention to provide a thermal pin which is adapted to be incorporated into a hot plate structure or into an independent oven structure whereby to supply heat either to a cooking surface to cook a mass or to the'oven space.

Other objects of the invention are'to provide a thermal pin having the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, compact, easily adapted to be extended into a mass to be either heated or cooled, of pleasing appearance and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the 2 description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electric cooker having a roast therein in the process of being cooked and with the thermal pins of the present invention projected into the roast to conduct heat from the air surrounding the roast into the interior thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the roast and of the thermal pin, as viewed on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the thermal pin, as viewed in the direction of arrows 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end elevational view of a simple form of the thermal pin projected into a solid mass for use with portions of the thermal pin being broken away to show the interior construction thereof and illustration being made to show the pin inclined in two directions, the view being taken generally on line 4-4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of a pressure cooker with a roast of meat disposed therein and with a cooking pin extended upwardly into the roast and supported in an elevated position with the lower end of the pin engaging with the liquid in the bottom of the cooker and with illustration being made to other cooking pins extended in different directions into the roast, the cooking vessel and the roast being broken away to show the thermal pin within the roast;

invention, reference may be had to the following detailed Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a cooling vessel having been adapted to quick freeze a piece of meat, the piece of meat being shown within the vessel and with a thermal pin containing a liquid refrigerant thrust into the roast from the top thereof;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the thermal pin used to facilitate the quick freezing of meat and as shown in Fig. 6 and with portions of the thermal pin being broken away at diiferent elevations thereof to show the interior construction and the elevation of the liquid refrigerant therein;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of a thermal pin of oval I section with the lower and upper ends thereof broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 1il10 of Fig. 9 and looking toward the bottom of the p Fig. 11 is an elevational view of a modified form of a thermal pin containing a liquid refrigerant and which is tapered and coated with a special substance to facilitate the removal of the pin from a frozen mass;

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view of a heating tank having a plurality of thermal pin projections mounted on a rotatable shaftand an electric heating element extending into the liquid chamber from which the thermal pin projections extend for the purpose of heating the liquid thereof and with a closure plate having driving into the tank and from a rotatable hollow shaft extending upwardly through a closure plate and into a chamber to which cooling liquid or brine can be passed for the purpose of condensing the vapors of the liquid refrigerant of the thermal pin projections;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view of a tank bearing liquid with a thermal pin of a modified form of the construction thrust into the bottom of the tank and secured to an internally threaded boss thereon, the lower end of Patented May 20,

the thermal pin having a surrounding chamber adapted to receive heated liquid or steam;

Fig. is a perspective view of a hot plate utilizing the thermal pin elements of the present invention for the heating of the plate mass;

Fig. 16 is a vertical sectional view of a warming oven using the thermal pins of the present invention to supply the heat thereto and provided with a top grill for supporting a vessel;

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 17--17 of Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is an elevational view of a still further form of a thermal pin in which an enclosed heating element is extended into the forward end of the pin to evaporate the liquid and wherein the pin is adapted for securement to a handle so that the pin may be thrust by hand into a liquid or mass desired to be heated, portions of the pin being broken away at the opposite ends thereof to show the interior construction of the pin;

Fig. 19 is an elevational view of a still further form of thermal pin wherein one end of the pin is heated by an electric heating coil surrounding the same and with terminals being provided on a casing for the connection of electric wires for the conducting of electric current to the heating element.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown an electric cooking vessel having an electric supply plug 26 in one end thereof for the delivery of current to an electric heating element therein in the usual manner. This vessel 25 is insulated as indicated at 27 and has a temperature control and switch knob 28. A cover 29 can be fitted on the top of the vessel and can be lifted therefrom in the usual manner by grasping end handles 38 and 31; on the bottom of the vessel 25 is a tray or basin 32 supporting a ham roast 33.

Extending into the front face of the ham roast 33 is a thermal pin 34 constructed according to one form of the invention. This thermal pin comprises an elongated tube or sleeve 35 having an integral rounded closed end 36 and its opposite or leading end being closed by a tapered valve plug 37, heat braised at 38 to the end of the tube 35 and having a central opening with a valve seat 39.

There is disposed in the tube 35 a small body of liquid, such as water and which can be quickly evaporated and as indicated at 40. The closed end 36 of the tube 35 is subjected to a heat flame so that the remainder of the tube is filled with steam and evacuated of air. When the air has been removed so that steanrleaves through the valve seat opening 39, a screw valve pin 41 is threaded into the plug 37 to close the valve seat and thereby close off the tube so that upon the tube being permitted to cool and the small body of liquid allowedto condense a vacuum will have been created in the tube. To further prevent any leaking, the end of the valve plug 37 is welded in such a manner as to surround the heat of the pin 41 and is shaped in such a manner as to provide a tip end 42 adapted to facilitate the piercing of the meat body upon the thermal pin 34 being thrust thereinto.

The thermal pin 34 is thrust into the meat or ham 33 in such a manner that the rear end of the tube is lower than the leading end of the tube so that the small body of liquid will fall to the lower point upon its vapors being condensed in the upper or forward regions of the tube. Heat is delivered to the rear end of the tube 35 to evaporate the liquid 4t? from the surrounding air within the electric cooker and which air is heated to effect the normal cooking of the roast from its exterior. To facilitate the transmission of the heat from the surrounding air to the interior of the tube 35 and to its body wall are six angularly spaced radially extending fins 43 that extend respectively into the space within the tube and terminate beyond the inner wall surface, as indicated at 44. To terminate the inward thrust of the thermal pin into the ham roast there is fixed to the tube 35 just forwardly of 4 I I the forward ends of the radial pins 43 is a stop flange 45 adapted to engage with the surface of the ham when the thermal pin has been thrust the full extent into the ham roast mass.

Along with the thermal pin 34 a more simple thermal pin 46 may be used in the same ham roast 33. This pin 46 is extended in the manner shown in full lines in Fig. 4, or may be extended in the manner as shown in dot and dash lines indicated at 47. This thermal pin comprises a tube or sleeve 48 which has an integral closed tapered end 49 and a plug end 50 constructed similarly to the leading end of the thermal pin 34, as shown in Fig. 2. This sleeve or tube 48 would have been evacuated in the same manner as above described by the heating of liquid 51 which serves as the heat conducting medium for the pin. It has been found that with thermal pins of these types which have been described that when used in a roast in this manner the cooking time for the roast to have the roast well done throughout its mass has been cut in half and thereby greatly reduced.

In Fig. 5 there is shown the thermal pin 34 being used in a rolled roast 52. This thermal pin 34 serves as a support for the roast 52 within the bottom of a pressure cooking vessel 53 having a top cover 54 and a handle 55. On the bottom of the vessel 53 is a small supply of water 56 adapted to create the necessary steam for effecting the cooking of the roast, and this steam will heat the lower end of the thermal pin 34 in such a manner as to cause the small liquid body therein to be evaporated so as to send heat upwardly into the center of the roast. Other thermal pins 34 can be extended into the sides of the roast as shown in dotted lines. Meat will be cooked very rapidly and throughout its entire mass when cooked in this manner. I

In Fig. 6 there is shown a cooling vessel 57 that is insulated as indicated at 58 and which has internal cooking coils 59 through which cooling brine is passed. Inlet and outlet fittings 61 and 62 are provided on the side of the vessel by which the cooling brine can be delivered to the cooling coils and removed therefrom. The cooling vessel 57 is closed by a hinged cover 63 hinged to one side of the vessel as indicated at 64 and having a handle latch element 64 cngageable with a latch 65 on the upper edge of the cooling vessel 57. Into this vessel 57 is placed a rolled roast 66 for the purpose of being quickly frozen. To facilitate the freezing of the interior of this roast there has been provided a special thermal pin 67 containing a liquid refrigerant. Details of this pin 67 are shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and comprise a central tube portion 68 having two diametrically opposite radially extending fins 69 and 70 integrally formed thereon to provide a rigid and reinforced tube 68 that can withstand the thrust of the pin into the meat mass. The forward end of the pin has a valve plug arrangement 71 similar to that shown in Fig. 2. The radial portions 69 and 70 are tapered as indicated at 69 and 70" respectively to conform to the taper of the valve plug 71.

Above the radial reinforcing portions 69 and 70 is stop flange 72 to limit the inward thrust of the pin into the meat body.

The upper end of the tube 68 is enlarged and closed and is of bulbous configuration as indicated at 73.

The enlargement 72 has a plurality of radially extending heat dissipating fins 74 that extend inwardly beyond the inner surface of the enlargement 73 as indicated at 75. Within the tube 68 is a liquid refrigerant 76, such as ammonia or sulfur-dioxide that will readily evaporate by heat passing through the walls of the tube 68 and which will expand into the enlargement 73 where it will be cooled or condensed by the cold air within the cooling vessel 57 and created by the cooling coil 59. The interior of the roast 66 will thus be quickly cooled and upon the roast 66 being removed from the cooling vessel 57 the pin 67 can be removed therefrom before placing the roast in the regular freezer.

In Fig. ll there is shownv a modified form. of a.refrigcrating pin which may'beused' in the same manner as the pin 6'7'has been used inthe. roast 66. This refrigerating pin comprises a slightly tapered tube portion 77 having a tapered-valve head 78 by which the'tubecan be closed in the'manner discussed with reference to the valve plug 37, Fig. 2. The upper end of the tube. 77 is enlarged to provide an expansion chamber into which the refrigerant may expand. This. enlargement is indicated at 79 and has a plurality of vertically spaced'cooling fins $0 and a top' loop 81 by which a hook or cable can be attached for the purpose of: extracting. the pin from the frozen mass. The stop flange 82 is provided below the enlargement '79 so as to limit the inward thrust of the pin into the meat mass. To further facilitate the removal of the refrigerating pin from the frozen mass, a coating of tetrafiuoroethylene is provided on the tapered tube 77 throughout'its length thereof and upon the underside of the stop flange 82 as indicated at,84.

It will thus be seen that a rugged pin has been provided and one which will stand the thrust of its tapered tube portion into the meat mass and as well one which can be easily and readily severedfrom the meat mass after it has been frozen;

Referring now particularly to Figs. 9 and 10, there is shown another form of the thermal pin. According to this form of the invention there is provideda tube 85 of oval section having a rounded closed end 86land a rounded and pointed upper end 87 having an internally threaded boss into which is fitted'a screw plug89 when theair has been exhausted from the tube and over which there is fixed welding material. 90 whereby. the end 8'7 of the tube is hermetically sealed. A round stop flange 91 is provided on the tube 85 to limit the insertion of the tube into the meat body. 011 the lower end 86 of the tube are a plurality of heating fins 92that extend inwardly beyond the inner surface of the. tube 85 as indicated at 93 to carry the heat to the space within the tube. A small body of liquid,', such as water, and as indicated at 9-4 is provided in the closed end of the tube 86. The operation of this pin is the same. as with the other heating pins.

In Fig. 12, the principle is shown applied to a heating vessel or pot Q5 that may be suspended in a well'of a cooking range. The top of the vessel 35 is flanged as indicated at 96 to support the vessel and to this flange there is fixed acover 97' on which are laterally spaced bearing brackets and 9& in which a drive shaft 100 is journalled. This shaft 100 has a tapered pinion 101 that is engageable with a large bevel gear 102 fixed to a hollow shaft ltlfwby a pin 104 that is journalledon a bearing portion or boss 105 on the cover 97;

This hollow shaft 103' has an inverted cup shaped enlargement 106 on its lower end that is connected to a bearing plate 1d? by fastening screws 108. This bearing plate 107 has a pin bearing portion 109 that is seated. in athrust socket bearing 110 extending upwardly from the rounded bottom 111 of the vessel 95.

Extending upwardly and outwardly and angularly spaced from one another are a plurality of thermal pin projections 112 communicating with the interiorof theenlargement 106 on the lower end of the rotatable shaft 1103. Within the enlargement 106 is liquid 113 in whichan electric heating coil 1141's immersed and which serves to evaporate the smallv body of liquid sothat vaporswill be extended outwardly and upwardly into the thermal pin projections 112. The vapors will condense. after removal of theliquid inthe vessel so that-the liquid in the vessel will be finally cooled as the pins are rotated in the liquid. The thermal pin projections 112 =.willbe 1' i evacuated of air and as well the space in the enlargement 106 will also have beenevacuated.

The heating element 114 has wires 115 and 116extending upwardly through the rotatable. shaft. 103. and

truncated with res ective conductin rin s .117 and v118- P that arerespectively engaged by brush contacts 119 and 120 adjust-ably, carriedinLa bracket 121" supported one surface 122. Electric'current is suppliedtov said'brush'es to feed current to the electric heatingelement 114. It will be apparent that a very effective cooking vessel has been provided by this arrangement- In Fig. 13th'ere is shown 'a similar arrangement for efi'ecting the cooling of a body of liquid withinia vessel; A similar vessel 125 is provided witha cover 127 having a supporting flange 126. A hollow tube 128 is journalled in a bearing portion 123 of. the cover 127. Extending downwardlyfrom the tube'128'is a plurality of refrigerating pin projections; 130 filled with... a refrigerant 131. These p-ins'extenddownwardly andoutwardly over. bottom' 1320f the vesselilZS. These pin projections are angularly spaced from each other and provide means by which the stirring'of the liquid within. the vessel 125n1ay, be effected ash is cooled. Antextension133 depends from the lower end of the tube 128and lies centrally of thedownwardly'and outwardly flared pin projections 130. The lower'end'ofthis extension 133 is retained in a thrust bearing portion 134 on thebottom 132. On. the cover-'127are'bearingibrackets 135'. and 136 in which a drive shaft 137' is journ'alled. This drive shaft has a bevel pinion '138 an'dmeshes with a bevelring gear 139 that is fixed to the rotatable tube 128"by a pin. 140. As the shaft 137is turned, the tube 128 will be turned.

The respective pinpr-ojections 130 communicatev with the center of, the tube.128"through holes 141. The upper end of the tube 128 has an enlargement 142 with .a. plurality of vertically spaced icoolingfins 143 thereon. These.

fins 143 aidthe cooling of the gasesthat areexp anded into the enlargement 142.

'Fixed to the tubei128'is .a base 144.by means of 'a pin 145 so that the base will be rotated with the tube. Fixed to thebase144'is'ahousing146 that surrounds the enlargement'142 and to which are connected inlet and outlet pipes 147 and 148. Cooling brine will be passed into the housing 146 through the pipe 147 andoutwardly through the pipe/1'44. This brine" will fiow over the en-' largement 142 and the this 143 whereby to cool the same and thereby causethe expandedigases'to becondensed and returned to the finger projections 130. be apparent that an effective cooling arrangement for liquids has been provided.

In Fig. 14 there is shown a modified form of a heating pin as indicated generally at 150 which is adapted to be.

secured into a threadedopeninglSl inthe bottom ofa liquid tank 152 for the purpose of heating the liquidtherewithin; This pin 150 has a tapered tubular portion 153 on the upperend of which is a pointed valve plugflarrangement 154 similar to the valve plug 37 of Fig. 2. At

thelower end of the tube.153,there is provided athreaded' portion 155 forthe engagement of the tube with the threads 151. Also, there is'a hexagonal portion 156 by.

whichthe pincan be turned and a washer 157 will make a sealing engagement with the tank.

On the form shown in Fig. 14, this nut portion 156 is iixedto an external casing 158 that surrounds the lower end of the pin tube 153 as indicated at 159 from whichradiating fins 160 extend. Fixedito the bottom. of the.

casing158 is a cover on the bottom 161 'havingran outlet opening projection 162 thereon. A fitting 163'is.-providedon the top of the casing 158 and through this fitting.

steam, hot wateror hot oil canrbe extended in order to deliver heat to the lower end 159 of the tube 153 and'to the heating fins. 160.

The tube 153 is provided with a small bodyo'f liquid which isquickly evaporated and the vapors will carry,the heatfto the liquid'wit-hin the tank 152. The liquid in the tankwill'accordingly be heated to the desired temperature. it will be seen from this form of the invention that this inventioncan be adaptedto industrial purposes.

In Fig 15,1 there .is :shown the heating pins applied toa hotplatemass 155: There aretwottypesofheatingxpins-.

It should now 7 embedded in the plate mass 165, one type as indicated at 166 and the other type as indicated at 167. The latter type has multiple tube projections. This hot plate mass 165 and the heating pins are supported on a frame 168 having four corner legs 169. Each of the pins 166 is similar to the pin 34 shown in Fig. 2 except that it is with out a stop flange and the rear end of the same is bent down as indicated at 170.

The heating pin 167, however, is of different construction. It includes a plurality of pin projections 171 laterally spaced from each other and communicating with an enlarged bulbous end 172 having radially extending heating fins 173. This enlarged end 1 72 is bent downwardly from the projections. Heat can be supplied to the downwardly bent ends of the heating pins by locating the 'hot plate over a heating element on a stove or immersing the bent ends in a hot liquid contained in a tank. The small body of liquid inside of the pins will be evaporated and the heat'will be transferred through the pin projections and by conduction delivered to the hot plate 165. The hot plate mass 165 is of metal which will receive and retain the heat. It will thus be seen that not only may the pins be embedded in liquid or edible masses, but also they may be used for heating of a metal mass in which they may be embedded.

In Fig. 16 there is shown an adaptation of the heating pins for a small oven, indicated generally at 174. This oven has a depressed top portion 175 with an opening 17 6 therein. Supported on the top portion 175 is a grill 177 on which a tray 178 or other vessel may be supported. Beneath the opening 176 there is supported between end portions 179 and 180 one or more heating pins 181.

The end portion 179 has a depression 182 adjacent its upper edge in which there is an opening 183 through which the pin 181 extends. A flange 184 on the pin 18.1 is supported in the depression 182. The other end of the pin 181 is supported in a small hole 135 in the end portion 180.

In order to have the pin 181 transmit more heat, a plurality of radiating fins 186 are provided along the length thereof. Other than the flange 184 and the fins 186, the pin 181 is similar to the heating pins shown in Fig. and like the pin 34 shown in Fig. 2, except that its end is bent down as indicated at 187 and has a larger number of radiating fins 188.

The end portion 180 has slide door 189 with a handle 190 supported in upper and lower guide ways 191 and 1 92. The slide door 189 cove-rs an opening 193 so that upon the slide door being operated to an open position, a tray 194 can be inserted upon the bottom portion 195 of the oven. 7 g

In Fig. 18, there is shown a still further form of the invention in the form of a heating pin 197 that carries its own heating element 198 and which is adapted to be connected to a handle or other support so that it can be portable and easily thrust into a body of liquid to be heated or even into an edible mass for the purpose of cooking the same from the interior thereof. This heating pin or prod 197 includes an outer tube 199 and an inner tube 200 that contains the heating element 193 and wires 201 and 202 extending thereinto. This inner tube extends out through the end of the outer tube 199 and has a threaded enlargement 203 by which the tube 197 can be fixed to a handle or to a plate support, not shown. The

outer tube is welded about the inner tube 200 as indicated at 204 so as to maintain the vacuum in the outer tube. The lower end of the inner tube is closed as indicated at 205 and the heating element 198 is disposed therein.

The lower end of the outer tube is closed in the manner as discussed with reference to the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 and includes a valve plug 206 welded to the outer tube 199 as indicated at 207. After the air is evacuated from the outer tube 199, a needle valve element 208 is tightened in a threaded central opening against a seat 209 thereof. On the head of the plug the mass.

8 there is welded a pointed closure 210 to make certain that the pin 197 is efiectively hermetically sealed. A small body of liquid 211 which will become heated by the heating element 198 and the vapors thereof will extend along the upper portion of the tube 199 so as to heat the wall thereof and the mass into which the pin 197 has been thrust. The wires 201 and 202 extend through an insulating element 212 in the threaded enlarged end 203 of the inner tube 200. These wires can be connected by means of a plug and cable with any electrical outlet.

in Fig. 19, there is shown a still further form of the invention comprising a heating pin with a heating element surrounding one end of the pin. This heating pin is indicated generally at 215 and comprises a tube 216 closed at one end as indicated at 217 and at the other end with a valve plug arrangement 218 similar to the valve plug arrangement 37 shown in Fig. 2.

Surrounding the closed end of the tube at 217 is a heating coil 219 having its ends connected respectively with terminals 220 and 221 fixed to an outer casing 222 fixed over the end 217 of the tube 216 and secured to the exterior of the tube 216 at its open end 223. Wires can be attached to the respective terminals 220 and 221 by tightening the respective nuts 224 and 225. From such wires the pin 215 can be supported in a liquid or the pin can be thrust into a meat mass and supported by Internal cooking of the meat mass would be effected.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a great many applications of the present heating or refrigerating pin wherein the pins are self-containeibut which may be adapted for connection with other supports, in cooking or cooling vessels, in an industrial tank, adapted for hot plates or ovens. It will also be apparent that the invention has been adapted and has application for use with pins adapted to be connected to a handle so that the pin can be used in a heating prod and with the heating element contained in the same.

In all of these pins, all air and other gases will have been evacuated from the tube and there remains only the liquid and its vapors within the tube. When the tube is heated at its lower end, the liquid is evaporated so that its vapors rise and the latent heat of these vapors is transmitted to the walls of the tube and taken away by the medium surrounding the upper end or" the tube.

While further changes may be made in the detail con struction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A thermal pin for aiding the cooking of food mass comprising a hermetically sealed hollow tube of thermally conductive material having a shaft portion, a handle portion, and being partly filled with a vaporizable liquid, said shaft portion being provided with a tapered end to facilitate introduction of the pin into the food mass, said handle portion being provided with radially extending fins for heat transmission on its outersurtace from the surrounding air to the interior of the pin, whereby when such pin is inserted into a food mass and subjected to heat, the resulting vapors of the liquid flow toward the tapered end of the tube, condense, and return to the handle portion.

2. A thermal pin for aiding the cooking of a food mass comprising a hermetically sealed hollow tube of thermally conducting material having a shaft portion, a handle portion, and being partially filled with a vaporizable fluid, said shaft portion being provided with a tapered end to facilitate introduction of the pin into the food. mass, and said handle portion being provided with radially extending fins for heat transmission on its outer surface from the surrounding air to the interior of said pin, said handle portion also having associated therewith means to prevent the penetration of said pin into the food mass beyond said shaft portion, whereby when such pin is inserted into a food mass and subjected to heat, the resulting vapors of the liquid flow toward the tapered end of the tube, condense, and return to the handle portion.

3. A thermal pin for aiding the cooking of food mass comprising a hermetically sealed hollow tube of thermally conductive material having a shaft portion, a handle portion, and being partly filled with a vaporizable liquid, such shaft portion being provided with a tapered end to facilitate introduction of the pin into the food mass, and said handle portion being provided with radially extending fins for heat transmission on its outer surface from the surrounding air to the interior of said pin, said fins extending through the handle portion of said pin into the interior of said hollow tube, whereby when such pin is inserted into a food mass and subjected to heat, the resulting vapors of the liquid flow toward the tapered end of the tube, condense, and return to the handle portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Perkins Nov. 13, 1894 Gay Aug. 27, 1929 Gay Apr. 15, 1930 1 Hoover Dec. 13, 1932 Jensen Apr. 1, 1941 Bratek et a1. Oct. 7, 1941 De Craene Sept. 25, 1951 Brown Sept. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1893 

